Man born white says he is transracial and feels Filipino

'Whenever I’m around the music, around the food, I feel like I’m in my own skin'

A man who was born white has claimed he is transracial and considers himself Filipino.

Ja Du, who was born Adam Wheeler, said he grew up enjoying the culture of the Philippines before coming to the realisation.

He also drives a tuk tuk around Tampa, Florida, which is commonly used for public transport in the Philippines.

“Whenever I’m around the music, around the food, I feel like I’m in my own skin,” he told WTSP.

“I’d watch the History Channel, sometimes for hours... you know, nothing else intrigued me more but things about Filipino culture.”

When asked about cultural appropriation, Ja Du said it could be an issue, but argued he was not trying to take advantage.

"I believe people will, just like other people have taken advantage of their identity to get their way," he said.

"But the difference between me and them is that I don't want that."

He has also created a Facebook page and community for others who believe they are transracial.

Rachel Dolezal still identifies as black and says she has been 'stigmatised' since being outed as a white woman in 2015 (Screenshot)

Ja Du's claims are likely to reignite the debate around transracialism.

Earlier this year, Rachel Dolezal, the white woman who pretended she was black for 10 years before being publicly outed, called for racial fluidity to be recognised in the same way as transgenderism.

Ms Dolezal said race is “less biological than gender” and said the term “transracial” is a useful term to describe how race should be considered in the future.